Broken
by jin0uga
Summary: He loved her. But sometimes the person you fall for isn't ready to catch you.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: No I do not.

xxx

He should have been at home.

It was far too late, already past the mark of midnight. He should been curled up in his warm bed, in the realm of dreams and blissful sleep. But instead he was here. In the outskirts of Beika, standing on a cliff's edge staring down at the ocean waves smashing against the rough sides. Each wave crashed against the rocks; slowly grinding it into dust which would sink, sink down and down and eventually, reach the ocean floor. His surroundings were dark; clumps of trees and grass were casting shadows around him. Silver beams of moonlight reflected off the clear, crisp water, casting a pale glow.

It was hauntingly beautiful.

As the wind grew stronger, Edogawa Conan raked his fingers through his raven colored hair in a futile attempt to retain its shape. The wind picked up considerably and he abandoned his previous efforts, opting to stare at the breathtaking scene which lay before him. But Conan was looking. Not _seeing_. There was a huge amount of difference between the two. He didn't really care that the sight before him would make wildlife photographers jealous, or that nature lovers would kill to see that rare scene of humans and nature becoming one. No, his thoughts were much more important. Even with the latter combined.

The thought that is plaguing his mind?

Age.

Another year had gone and passed, and the highschool-turned-elementary detective was no longer a tiny, pint size boy who was constantly stepped and teased on. He was sixteen. _Sixteen_.

Ten years had already past since the disappearance of Kudo Shinichi. And Ran was no longer waiting.

She had started seeing a man named Takeru who had visited the Mouri Detective Agency, decidedly hearing that the sleeping detective had a beautiful daughter who was single. On their first meeting Conan could easily see that they were smitten with each other. And after a consecutive number of dates, they became a couple. Upon hearing the news Conan wasn't just angry. He was _furious_. Didn't she promise to wait for him? For Shinichi? The shrunken detective had questioned her about the relationship more times than he could count, and **finally**, he realized one thing….She had already moved on. Conan _had noticed the change_ in her. Like how Ran's eyes shined when she saw Takeru, or how happy she looked when he called her out for dates and such. But the thing that hit him hard the most was that….Ran gave Takeru the look that she _used to_ give him. _Used to_.

Conan choked down a sob. Everything was too painful. The most painful thing was that, today was his birthday. The 4th of May. And she hadn't remembered. Not even a single present nor 'happy birthday' was muttered to him. To say he was devastated would be too light of a word. He was _broken_.

There was a sudden crackle of lightning followed by a boom of thunder and then...something wet grazed his cheek and landed beneath him. The spot which it had landed on turning dark. Conan looked up to see small drops of water falling towards the earth, pulled by the earth's gravitational force. It was drizzling.

He let out a dry, bitter laugh.

It was ironic. Even the heavens were crying for him.

Conan turned away from the edge and started walking towards his car. The slightly damp grass squelched loudly with each step he took.

He could see the vehicle's outline through the darkness and conan picked up his pace, not wanting to get soaked. There was a clang of metal as he reached into his pocket to grab his keys before inserting it into the driver's door. The car was nothing spectacular, painted red; it was just an average vehicle that had its limitations along with many unpaid traffic tickets. Conan sighed with relief as the door clicked open. He was about to start the engine when a high pitched 'riiiing' of a phone sounded.

He pressed the green button and the screen lit up, flooding the interior of the car with blinding light. Conan was surprised to see who it was...

_Caller ID: Mouri Ran_

xxxxx

Conan drove frantically through the empty streets, panic and fear flooding through him. He brought the pedal to the medal and sped past a red light, earning a couple of honks and shouts from tired workers on their way home. Oblivious to the fact that his knuckles were turning white, Conan gripped onto the steering wheel even harder, and he let out an extremely _rude_ and creative curse when he turned down a wrong street. Speeding through the city, he finally spotted the hotel in the distance; its neon lights indicating where it was. Taking a left, Conan finally entered the hotel's car park, and he tried to spot where she was, craning his neck at an angle which was juuusst right...

And there she was.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan.

xxx

Raindrops thundered onto the windscreen of the car, falling from the heavens with such force that one would think that the gods above were releasing all their anger. A flash of lightning cut across the sky as smoothly as a knife cutting through paper, accompanied by the loud pounding of war drums; shaking the earth to its very core.

The atmosphere in the vehicle was opposite to that of the outside, the lingering air was heavy and not one of them said a single word as the car forced its way through the sheets of heavy rain. Eventually the inevitable happened and every minute or so, Conan's eyes would unwittingly flit to her face; watching... waiting for some sort of movement, some sort of reaction. However as the saying goes 'time waits for no man' and he soon found himself cracking under the pressure, fingers curled onto the side of the steering wheel; clutching it so tightly as if it provided some sort of safe have.

To say Conan was worried would be an understatement of the century. What bothered him wasn't the fact that Ran was out late at night; she was an adult for kami's sake. No, what bothered him was...her expression. When he picked her up earlier, she wore an expression of emptiness. Her blue eyes filled with an unknown emotion...

Disgust? Anger? Terror?

What it was he didn't know. But he was determined to find out. However it was easier said than done.

The lingering silence had grown in intensity, nearly choking both occupants of the moving vehicle. With every passing second Conan's mind exploded with countless questions which plagued him and threatened to spill from his mouth.

What was she there? Why was she alone? Did she get lost? Did she meet someone there? Why wasn't she back at the detective agency? Was she supposed to meet someone? Did she meet **him** there?

_What happened, Ran?_

As if kami-sama had heard his prayer, her broken voice entered into his ears, transcending into an echo.

"Conan-kun..."

His head shot up in surprise, obviously not expecting that she would make the first move. Conan watched her facial expression carefully, observing her every move. He saw her bite her lip in doubt, her eyebrows knitting together and her mouth becoming a thin line. There was a moment of silence, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop and the words which came from her mouth next would forever be etched in Conan's memory, like a thorn in his side.

"I had sex with Takeru."

The car screeched dangerously to a halt when he slammed on the brakes with an aching force. Conan slowly looked up at her, with an expression so painful that it made her heart stop. It was as if someone had uttered the devil's name in the middle of a Sunday church service.

"What?"

Conan felt his insides twist painfully as he tried to process her words. If it was possible, his already broken heart shattered into tinier pieces and he desperately searched Ran's face for some sort of sign. The blood in his body ran cold when he saw two familiar objects at the side of her eyes which added to his already overwhelming despair.

"You think I'm disgusting." These words came out of her lips in a whisper, in a voice of someone in pure agony. Ran didn't wait to see what happened next, she wouldn't, she _**couldn't**_.

The car door was thrown open and she rushed into the nearby forest, her figure slowly disappearing, as if being swallowed by the darkness. There was a pregnant pause before Conan realized what had just happened, and he exited the same way she did; hot on her heels, not even bothering to lock his car. With his heart pounding in his ears, Conan's mind screamed in desperation as he ran through the forest searching for _her_.

"Ran… Ran… RAN!"

xxx

A/N:

Many thanks to **Anime Lady PIMP, Zodiac-spirits, DetectiveLion, JelpHasNails, Willysfeather, danitax-chan and Reader f**or reviewing! Honestly, I wasn't expecting this much reviews! I am surprised that you guys would take your time to review my story! Cola sweets for all of you!

And also this story was dug up from my old writing practices so i might be a little rusty in continuing this story. But I hope to get more reviews! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan.

xxx

_Why is it so dark?_

Her hands felt for the surroundings around her, fingers sliding over the bark of a tree. Ran drew her hand back when she felt a sting on her finger, the pain resembling that of a paper cut. The trees hovered over her, blocking off the sky, her eyes searched desperately for light and she stumbled over a root; scraping her knees and tearing her skirt.

"**Takeru-kun..."**

**Said man stared down at her, and Ran saw a hint of lust glimmering in his brown eyes. She cradled herself on instinct, fear suddenly overcoming her. Strange. Why was she so scared? She loved him didn't he? Ran felt his hand on her chest, stroking it lightly and rhythmically before it went down and down...**

**A whimper escaped from her chapped lips. Silence engulfed the room when Takeru pressed his mouth to hers, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth. Ran felt her blood go cold when his hand brushed against the button of her top. **

She struggled to stand, her hands digging into the dirt. Ran gasped for breath as she started to run once more, heart palpitating like a madman's. The darkness seemed like it would swallow her, and her breath wilted away.

Then she saw it. Light.

There was no hesitation as she fled out of the darkness, abandoning her heels because they slowed her down. She had to get out of there.

**Fast, slow, fast slow. She couldn't keep up any longer. The sheets felt alien on her sweat soaked skin as her hands gave way, her bare body crashing onto the soft mattress. Both her body and mind were numb and she stared at the man hovering over her, who was still concentrated in what he was doing. **

**Fast, slow, fast, slow. Her body suddenly straightened, and his hands tightened around her waist. Ran shivered. His touch felt so cold. **

_**Who are you? I don't know you.**_

**Then his hands were gone and she felt the mattress sink beside her. Through half-lidded eyes, she saw him...smirk? **

**Oh god. What had she done?**

Ran felt the cool breeze sweep through her hair as she climbed out of the forest. Her legs suddenly gave way, leaving her to fall onto the grass. "Come on! Stand up!" Her words nearly choked her as she hit her legs lightly with curled fists. She had to continue running, if not...if not...he woul—

"RAAAAN!"

Too late. She watched in horror, as a shadow escaped from it cage, running straight towards her. She felt his arms enclose her upper arms and she flinched.

"Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?" Conan shouted between breaths as he choked and spluttered, trying to catch his breath. Suddenly he looked up, staring straight into her eyes; as if piercing through her very soul.

"Ran-neechan, I have some things I want to say to you."

Her shoulders tensed and her eyes snapped shut.

"You definitely are not dirty Ran-neechan and frankly I don't care even if you are because in the end I still love you—"

She pulled his collar down and kissed him.

xxx

Sorry if this chapter is not that detailed and abit flimsy, my exams start next week so I will be a bit slow in updating. Trust me to start a story at this time of year! And many thanks to those who reviewed my story! I hope you guys keep reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: No I do not own it. Now read the story.

xxx

As soon as her lips met his, a hot tingle shot through Ran's body; the feeling of his lips on hers rattling every nerve and bone in her body, shaking her to the very core. Ran drew away in alarm.

_What did I just do?_

Her hands grabbed the grass around her, pulling it, trying her hardest to get away...away from **this**. Unfortunately, Conan wasn't about to let her go. Locking his arms around her waist, he pulled her in closer, kissing her once more. His mouth stroked hers gently while Conan pressed his free hand on Ran's neck, pushing her head closer. Ran gasped when she felt a hot tongue entering her mouth; exploring it.

She let out a small moan and let herself fall onto the grass with a soft thud, winding her arms around him, clawing the soft material covering his back. The lovers finally broke the kiss, not because they wanted to but because of the need for precious oxygen. But soon his lips were on hers again slowly going down her neck, nibbling, biting it gently. "Aghnn cona-a-an kun..."

His soft lips left leathery traces on her neck as he slowly went down...and down. A loud moan escaped her when Conan kissed a particularly sensitive spot, and deciding it was time to turn the tables Ran hooked her leg around his and flipped their bodies. This time Ran was on top. She grinned.

"Conan-kun..."

The hairs on his neck stood, when her sensual voice entered his ears. She ebnt forward, licking his earlobe; sending a shiver down his spine. Ran let her hands wander beneath his shirt and she purred into his ears.

"Now, it's my turn."

xxx

Up-down, up-down.

He watched her chest rise and fall in a slow rhythm from the rear view mirror of the car. It had begun raining a few minutes ago and luckily from them, escaped dry. Conan shivered as the cool air of the air conditioning pounded at his bare chest. He barely managed to dress himself after the...ahem...love making session. A heavy blush found its way to his pale skin, turning it a crimson red. He stole a glance at the half-dressed lover sleeping soundly in the backseat. Conan let his eyes trace the beautiful curves of her body before turning his attention back to the road.

His wildest dreams had come true.

He made love to Mouri Ran.

"Although I'm not the first..."a lump lodged itself in his throat, before he swallowed harshly. "No, that doesn't matter anymore."

Conan pressed on the pedal a little harder, and they sped through the night. The remaining thoughts bit at his mind like a plague, never ceasing its relentless attack. What comes after this? Was this wrong? Would it change anything?

He swallowed, a ball of fear curling at his stomach.

_Would she hate him?_

For just one moment of pleasure, he had jeopardized their relationship. He wasn't supposed to touch her. She was the forbidden fruit that he was never allowed to have. But Conan took it anyway.

The car slowly skidded to a stop in front of the Mouri Detective Agency.

Xxx

A/N:

Helloooo you guys! Sorry for not updating for so long! I kinda had the writer's block. Good news is that I'm back so look out for more chapters! *rides off into the sunset with cola sweets*


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do no own Detective Conan.

xxx

The loud chatter of citizens drowned out all the sounds of the morning, replaced by the loud click-clack of heeled shoes and the distinct murmur of the workers on their hand phones. Children giggled as they crossed the streets, some boy pulling at his friend's hair only to be firmly reprimanded and dragged to the back of the line with a glare from the teacher. The boy sulked moodily as he slowly sauntered at the back, rebellious eyes never ceasing in their stare.

Across the street stood a few shops which were up and running since the wee hours of the morning, whose patrons rushed in and out through the heavy glass doors which were stained with fingerprints and the smell of cheap black coffee lingering in the stagnant air. The familiar smells of a typical morning in a typical city. As if it wasn't noisy enough, cars honked impatiently at the large crowd which took their time in crossing the roads and drivers looked as if the world was ending when the red light continued shining down on them.

In this morning, the air was tense in a certain family restaurant just two blocks away from the street crossing. Through the glass windows, one could see two women and a man sitting opposite one another, with two of them nursing their cup of sugarless coffee while the other fiddled with her phone. Kazuha Tomoya stared worriedly at her best friend Mouri Ran as she conversed in low tones with her current boyfriend; Hattori Heji.

The two were speaking in serious tones, both trying to break the other in a battle of wits and deceit. The conversation had been going on for about and hour now and kazuha had already polished off three cups of coffee. It was beginning to make her sick. Setting down her chipped porcelain mug, she began listening in on their conversation once more.

"And **I'm** telling ya that I haven't heard from him. Why are ya so stubborn nee-chan?" Heiji quipped as he slammed his fist onto the cheap plastic table. There was a look of irritation on his face as he tried reasoning with her. But Ran shook her head stubbornly as if refusing to even take in his words, making the Osaka born detective twice as angry as before. "You're lying! He definitely contacted you! He's already been missing for the past two months!"

Her voice went up by a few pitches, making the customers around them fidget in discomfort. A few of them got up from their seat, paid for their drink and left in a hurry. Kazuha seemed to have noticed this and looked around worriedly before pressing her hand on heji's, throwing glances between him and their surroundings. "Hey would ya try to keep it down a little'? She whispered fiercely, before sipping at the remnants of her drink discreetly. He fought within himself to suppress the urge to snap at her, and turned back to Ran, who had ceased in her rebellion. Hattori put his hand in his pocket and took out an emerald green cell phone and flung it at her, not even caring whether it hit her or not. His mind was in such a frenzy that he couldn't even think straight at the moment. The phone landed on the table with a loud thump and was promptly snatched up.

The noise ceased as she looked through its contents, her brows furrowing when she couldn't find what she was looking for. Seeing the dejected look on her face, kazuha sighed and slid her hand across the table to squeeze her friend's. Her voice echoed soothingly as she cajoled her. "Don't worry Ran-chan. We'll find him soon."

Hearing this, Heji smiled weakly at his girlfriend's kind words and fiddled with the note nee-chan had brought along when she came to visit. After reading it, a feeling of panic enveloped him. One would understand why she was feeling this frantic if they were in her shoes. His eyes lowered and looked over once more the dark words scribbled in an all so familiar hand writing, and his mouth silently repeating each word he read:

_To Ran-neechan,_

_By the time you find this letter, I will probably be gone. Firstly, I must apologize to you for what I did that night. It really wasn't supposed to happen. But that's not the only reason that I left. _

_On the night we were together, something happened to a very important friend of mine. One whom I swore to protect for as long as I lived. That person told me something before leaving. Although I cannot tell you what it is, I want you to know that this is very important and could jeopardize the lives of the people around me. _

_I will not be back. I beg you not to look for me. Just continue with you life, just like you did when Shinichi nii-chan disappeared. I also want to tell you that before I left, I confronted your boyfriend, Takeru. It looks like everything was a big misunderstanding. After you spent the night with him, he wanted to propose to you. I know it sound stupid but, that's really what happened._

_This is the truth. He even showed me the ring he got you. This man genuinely loves you, ran-nee-chan. If you don't believe me, you can confront him yourself. Remember what shinichi always said? When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains however improbable, must be the truth. _

_Sayonara Ran-nee-chan._

_Love, Edogawa Conan_

Heji very nearly crumpled up the paper in his hands. But he couldn't. It was the only evidence left that Kudo Shinic- no, Edogawa Conan actually existed. When he left, all traces of him were wiped out. Medical records and school records, everything. Gone.

All that was left were their memories of him. He had become a phantom. A ghost. Even the detective boys and professor Agasa couldn't testify his existence.

He looked up once more and felt anger welling up in him when he saw the sad, empty eyes of Mouri Ran. Broken. Hurt. Betrayed. The eyes of one who suffered and was still suffering. Emotions bubbled up inside him, like a volacano which was going to erupt.

"Dammit! How much more are ya going to hurt her?" Heji gritted his teeth angrily while kazuha clung onto his arm, lightly squeezing it for reassurance that he wouldn't disappear. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ran silently wince at her friend's actions and slightly bowed her head as if trying to apologize for the mental stress that she put them under. Even though she was suffering so much, how could she still care about others? The woman in front of him was strong, stronger than anybody that he had ever met, even stronger than himself.

This made heji wonder; what made Conan leave such a desirable woman? After managing to get her back, how did he let her go so easily? Was something wrong with him? Don't you know how much you hurt her? You dumbass, Heji thought to himself. Although anger towards his lost friend bubbled up inside him, he held a slim hope that somehow, Conan would be able to receive these thoughts.

The morning light had started to falter, as the cruel bearer of time slowly ticked and tocked, never stopping to wait or pause. The street was filled with more people and they seemed like ants poring out form the trains which brought people to and fro towards their destinations. The patrons in the restaurant who had finished their breakfast left this cement wall dungeon, and went on with their lives.

They stayed there until the late afternoon.

x

Ran sighed as she entered her three bedroom apartment, which was stationed near the Mouri detective agency. The apartment owner had left for another country, so she managed to get it for a cheap price. Leaving her house keys on the black lacquer coffee table, she stalked towards the kitchen in a huff, lightly setting down her suitcase near the entrance of the doorway. There were small clinking sounds as she grabbed a glass cup and poured some water from the nearby jug standing on the countertop. After swallowing a few gulps of the cool liquid, Ran made her way towards the bedroom; stripping her clothes from her moist skin and leaving it on the queen sized bed before stepping into the shower. It had been a long trip back and the matters plaguing her mind didn't really help either.

There as the sound of rushing water as she turned the tap clock-wise, and in an instant her body was covered in lukewarm liquid which almost seemed to wash away her troubles. But it was only for a brief moment before they returned two-fold, giving her a vicious headache. Sighing again, Ran lathered her hair with shampoo, wincing when it accidentally slipped into her eye. Using her fingers, she quickly wiped it away, careful not to damage her cornea. The bubbly remains of the shampoo were washed off before covering her body with some fragrant soap. Ran turned the tap once more and dried her body off with a fluffy white towel which was a gift from her colleague.

The steam from her shower seemed to evaporate into the cold night air as she gingerly stepped out and dried her feet on the furry carpet. Satisfied that her body was clean, she flopped onto the bed with one fluid move, her body impacting onto the springy mattress which shook at the sudden weight gain. The blanket made a slight rubbing sound as she moved her body closer to the pillows, and positioned herself more comfortably. Ran began to drift off, as she thought about the mounting problems on her shoulders.

"Conan..." her thoughts ran wild as she lay there silently, "Where did you go? Why did you leave everything behind?" Ran sank deeper into the mattress. Suddenly a surge of energy rushed through her. Sitting straight up again, she reached to the side of the bed, where a small oak table stood. Her fingers grabbed around and finally they found what they were looking for. Closing around the sleek picture frame, Ran stared longingly at the photo encased in the frame. It was taken during her birthday, Kazuha and Hattori stood side by side with similar grins adorning their faces. On her left stood Suzuki Sonoko who was dressed in a flashy pink dress, holding her hand up in a peace sign. Kogoro who was taking said picture whined about him not being in it, only to be kicked in the shins by Conan. In the picture, the male teenager wearing large black-rimmed glasses was leaning against her side, his features one of relaxation.

Ran smiled bitterly. They looked so happy, not aware of the trouble that was yet to come. Deep inside her, she missed those days of pure unwavering innocence. Closing her eyes, ran covered the frame with her chest, and murmured a silent promise.

"No matter where you are...I will find you."

xxx


End file.
